Tips for surviving your first year living on campus

Living on campus is one of the greatest experiences for a student at Charles Sturt University. Being in a regional area, exposed to flora and fauna and engaging with people from other courses and backgrounds are some of the highlights of living on campus. Particularly staying in Bathurst, the culture, community spirit and transition of the seasons are memorable.

In my first year, I lived at Macquarie Village in Green Dorm. As a first year I was scared of the amount of people I was anticipated to live with (which was 20 other students in one building). A few weeks in, I made lifelong friends with numerous students and settled into my journalism degree.

As a second year student, I thought I would change it up and live in Diggings, also known as magpie central. Going from 20 people in one building to 8 in a cottage was a massive change, but a much needed one. Second year is a big step up from first year; for me there were more readings and additional time spent participating in the different fields of journalism; tv/radio broadcasting and print. With the additional work load, Diggings was a great choice; it is a homely environment, quiet and fun-filled.

Sometimes living on campus is hard. You can find mid way through the year that you don’t know what you’re doing, why you’re doing it or even if this is the right thing for you. The people around you may seem monotonous and strange at times with their habits and rituals. But here are seven handy tips that may help you out in your first year living on campus.

Get some sleep

Students should be getting at least 8-10 hours of sleep every night to feel refreshed and pumped for the work that needs to be done. If your sleeping pattern is disturbed, write down a list of contributing factors (such as, cleaning your sheets/pillows, opening the window to get fresh air, turning off your devices before going to sleep) and try to minimise each as you go.

Eat healthy

Fresh fruits, vegetables and meat are the essentials to a healthy lifestyle. Not to say that you cant have a snack every now and then to reward yourself for the good job that you’re doing. But sticking to a good eating routine will benefit you in the long run and your body will thank you for it.

Shower! Shower! Shower!

Keep yourself clean! Your body is a temple. Wash your hair, brush your teeth, enjoy the warm water softly caressing your back after a long day of studying and going to lectures/tutorials. Treat yo self.

Wash your dishes

Nobody likes a filthy kitchen. Invest in a tea-towel, sponge and dishwashing liquid. After you cook your dinner, wash up the mess and put it away. Not only will you enjoy looking at your clean kitchen with delight but your dormies will thank you for it.

Clean your room

There is an old saying, “your room is a representation of your mental state”. Maintaining your room in an organised manner to how you function will help you with studying, sleeping and relaxing.

Be nice to your fellow dormies

Say hello, ask how their day was and what their thoughts about life are will help create friendship and trust within the dorm. You never know if they are interested in the same things as you are if you don’t engage and start a conversation. Being friends on Facebook and never talking in person does not count.

Stand up for yourself

If there is something that you don’t like or agree with, speak up. University is a great place for people to speak your mind, needs and wants. People will listen, take into consideration and apply everyone’s needs for the best. You got this.

Author:Erika Vass

Good day fellow students and enthusiastic readers, my name is Erika Vass and I'm a second year journalism student at CSU Bathurst. I enjoy listening to good music, reading and binging on SBS demand movies. One day, I wish to write for Rolling Stone magazine and enjoy life as it comes.
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